Wrench having pivoted outer jaw provided with guide slot for handle-jaw extension



A. v. ZELGERT 2,546,287 -JAW PROVIDED WITH GUIDE SLOT FOR HANDLE-JAW EXTENSION Filed May 26, 1949 WRENCH HAVING PIVOTED OUTER March 27, 1951 LWMN MM H H m 3 w 4. E A Y 5 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 WRENCH HAVING PIVOTED OUTER JAW PROVIDED WITH GUIDE SLOT FOR HAN- DLE-JAW EXTENSION Albert .v. Zelgert, St. Paul, 1m Application May 26, 1949, Serial No. 95,453

2 Claims.

, 1 This invention relates to fit bolts and nuts as well as rods and pipes, and particularly to a wrench that has a wide though very stable range of adjustment, that is instantly available.

Many wrenches have been devised but there is still lacking a simple reliable wrench that will handle without damage different shapes of bolts and nuts as well as pipes and rods, and that is self adjusting through a wide range of sizes-;

though still maintaining perfect transverse stability. All screw type adjustable wrenches inyolve a cut and try method, and in pipe wrenches, which have a spring element which adds another factor to guess against, adjustments become time,-;

consuming. Such pipe wrenches also lack transverse stabilityand are very wobbly when opened up for larger sizes: Th edesirable feature, of instant grip and release and having stability of adjustment at line of action of gripping:

surfaces, is not there; Special pipe wrenches have been made having rocking grippng' plates, pins with a pluraltiy of bcres'for adjustment, cogs for adjustment, adjustable bits near the bill of the jaw and many others. their respective limitations, serve a purpose, but are not very versatile and handy. Wrenches, now commonly made, which are adaptable for pipes and rods, have the gripping faces under most adjustments pretty well on an angle to each other and do not provide a. substantially flat grip to the sides of nuts and bolts, with the result that same are mutilated and cannot later be removed with any other wrench. To fit bolts and nuts as well 'as pipes and rods, the mechanics of the wrench must be such that the gripping surfaces are constantly substantially straight and parallel for the width of engagement.

One important object of my invention is to provide an all purpose wrench, that will grip bolts and nuts as Well as pipes and rods, and will not mutilate the sides of the nuts or heads of the bolts by reason of gripping surfaces, which are constantly substantially straight and parallel for the working width, and are kept very stable transversely by interengagement of parts.

Another important object is to provide such a wrench having a wide range of adjustment available between limiting stops, provided in the interengaging parts, constantly affording stability on the line of action of engagement.

Another important object is to provide such a wrench of simple and economical construction, having great strength and durability, by reason of interenga'gement of parts, and ar- These, within to all purpose wrenches,

a 2 -:v ranged to instantly provide the desired adjustment. .For a full disclosure of my invention, reference is made to the description following and to the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the wrench, gripping a pipe or a nut, and with extreme positions of wrench shown in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the wrench as viewed from the back, when in fully closed position.

, Fig. 3 is a front view of the movable jaw, showing also a modification of a replaceable insert for the gripping surface.

In the selected embodiment of my invention,

'1 provide. a' wrench consisting of two parts I!) and II, joined by a pivot pin l2, in a bore l3 through the two parts. The part In comprises -a handle portion l4, a fixed jaw portion l5, and

.a guide portion 1| 6. The part I I comprises a movable jaw portion l'l, a bifurcated extremity l8 straddling the part I0 and providing for a pivoting of same thereto, and a slot IQ for receiving the guide portion 16. The inter-engagement of the guide portion IS with the slot I 9, provides constant transverse stability of the wrench, through its wide range of adjustment. This stability is provided on the line of act on of the fixed jaw, where it is the most effective. The contour of the part It is such, that stops 20 and 2| are provided respectively, for the extreme large and small sizes of work to be engaged. The adaptability of the wrench for the work in question is instantly determinable. Although the wrench has a wide range of adjustment, manufacture of three sizes is contemplated, by means of which, all classes of work will be accommodated. Serrated gripping surfaces 22 and 23 are provided respectively, on the movable and the fixed jaw, to firmly engage smooth round pipes and rods. These surfaces may be provided by a replaceable insert 24, as shown in Fig. 3, so a wrench may be restored to a good-as-new condition with little expense. This insert may be slotted into the jaw and secured by pins 25, or by other means of anchorage, and a similar insert application made to the other jaw. In the fixed jaw, the serrated gripping surface extends nearly to the end of the guide portion l6, due to the wide range of grip of the wrench. The front face 26 of the fixed jaw corresponds in width to the confronting face of the movable jaw, but the fixed jaw is tapered somewhat to the back, so that the guide portion I 6 may be engaged by the slot [9 of the movable jaw. It will be noted,

'9 a that because of the length of the radii of the arcs of the giipping surfaces of both jaws, the length of arc of the fixed jaw, and the position of pivot of the movable jaw, that no matter what the adjustment, there is a near straight line parallel relation of the working width of the gripping surfaces. This almost flat grip, as clearly shown by Fig. 1, permits gripping of bolts and nuts, without mutilation, as well as pipes and rods. The wrench when provided with monolithic construction of the parts It] and II, and with the pivot pin l2 of substantial size in the bore i3 extending through the twoparts, is very strong. This pivot pin may be provided with a nut on one end for demountability, or may have riveted heads on both ends. The two parts of the wrench may be produced by steel castings, drop forgings or same may be of malleable castings, here hard steel inserts are provided for the gripping surfaces. The gripping surfaces, because same are constantly substantially straight and parallel at point of engagement, and because of great transverse stability provided by the strong interengagement of the two parts, may be provided with moderately sized serrations. This will still further insure against damage to. bolt heads and nuts.

-. pivot pin passing through registering bores, said fixed. jaw having an arcuate recess between said extension and said pivot, a portion of said movable jaw adjacent said slot traversing said re- 1 cess and cooperating with said arcuate extension to guide said movable jaw during its swinging movement about said pin, said movable jaw having a bifurcated extremity spaced from said guide slot by said portion and straddling said fixed jaw to facilitate firm pivoting, said fixed jaw and handle being provided with motion limiting stops for said movable jaw, said jaws having oppositely disposed serrated gripping surfaces and said gripping surfaces having curved contours of such radii and arc length that said surfaces are constantly substantially straight and parallel for the working width, whereby an all purpose wrench is provided, which will grip bolts and nuts as well as pipes and rods.

2. The combination in a wrench of a head forming a stationary jaw and having a handle with a movable jaw having a bifurcated extremity straddling and pivotally connected to said heads, said jaws having serrated gripping surfaces oppositely disposed to each other, a curved "guide in the form of an extension to the rear of said head, a slot in said movable jaw of a dimension to permit movement through same of said guide and maintain transverse stability and true position when in operation by reason of the interengagement of said guide with said slot and said bifurcated movable jaw extremity with said head, stops for extreme limiting positions of said movable jaw formed by a recess provided in said head between said guide and said pivotal connection and having surfaces engaged respectively by opposite sides of that portion of said movable jaw which lies between the guide slot and the bifurcated extremity, whereby within the range defined by said stops, instant and secure adjustment of the wrench may be had to a work piece.

ALBERT V. ZELGERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 328,167 Williams Oct. 13, 1885 668,467 Viau Feb. 19, 1901 1,498,521 Holman June 17, 1924 

